Cleansing the Temple
John 2:12-25
Introduction
- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ
-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I
- If we can learn to love others like Jesus’ … we can bring them TO Him
-- Re: We won’t bring a friend to something we do not like
-- John demonstrates and challenges us to love people like Christ did
- Today, we will look at last three of 6 “M’s” that happen in John 2
-- Wed we talked about Jesus' mother, His method, and His first miracle
-- Today we will discuss Him at the market, His meanings, and know His motive
- Read John 2:12-25 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – Jesus at the Market
- After the wedding in Cana, Jesus and his disciples traveled to Capernaum
-- Capernaum is at the very Northern tip of the Sea of Galilee in Israel
- Jesus then traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover (a frequent occurrence)
-- Traveling to Jerusalem would’ve been an event, a huge opportunity to “get out”
-- Consider: Living in a tiny town, and now you are going to NYC
- And what He finds, is probably the most disturbing part of our story
-- In Jerusalem, in the House of David, the Temple of the Lord – it’s horrible
- Re: Passover is to celebrate surviving the Angel of Death in Egypt
-- It was held in the first month of the sacred year or 7th month of civil year
- All of the merchandise in v14 would’ve been brought for sacrificial purposes
-- People would travel for great distances and not be able to purchase offerings
-- Re: This is not like packing the minivan for a two hour drive …
- So, upon arrival to the temple, they would need animals to sacrifice
-- The problem here occurs at the beginning of v14 … “in the temple courts”
- This is the place where Gentiles could pray; a place of honor and respect
-- However, they are unable to do that because of the massive flea market
-- But the merchants have come for one reason: To make money, not honor God
- While we may not respond the same way – we still have the same issues today
-- APP: Consider these things and look at modern day church:
• Has the church become a merchandise center?
• Is the ministry more concerned with money than the lost/needy?
• Are the people are more focused on being seen than bringing others in?
- Naturally, we might be startled to see Jesus fashion a whip
-- I’m sure the disciples were in awe watching this happen before their eyes
- So for us, one of the main questions we must ask here is: Why?
-- Why would Jesus respond in a way that seems outside His scope of peace?
-- Why would His response to a “normal occurrence” be so dramatic/drastic?
- APP: Often times, it takes a cleansing to put things back in order
-- The bible is consistent of its representation of God’s house and of prayer
-- These are two highly respected and treasured areas in God’s eyes
- And here, many had come to just “be part of the scene” and go home
-- I pray that we do not attend church just to be seen and then head out
-- APP: In this place, we have a real chance to be made different; new before Him
-- IMP: However, in order to be changed we have to repent of our sin
- These merchants had one desire: to make some money and improve wallet
-- Jesus has come to restore the temple, and the creation, to the Father above
- TRANS: So now we get to the heart of their conversation at the market
∆ Point 2 – Jesus’s Meaning
- In v17 we actually see a requote of Psalm 69:9
-- David’s cry is that having a zeal for God’s house must (will) consume him
-- APP: This zeal will be all that he desires and all that he wants (to honor God)
- Israel always had zeal with their knowledge; now it’s time for action
-- APP: Now they need to put action to their words (head knowledge vs. action)
- The Jews always asked Jesus for proof, signs of his authority (v18)
-- Re: They do this with everyone; even JTB was asked for proof
- So in response, Jesus gives them a foreshadowing of His death (v19)
-- However, they totally missed this prophetic statement: focused here only
- Re: the temple was started by Herod in 20BC (v20)
-- This conversation with Jesus is happening somewhere around 26AD
-- It took more than 37 years to construct the entire building (done in 63AD)
-- And then in 70AD, we know it would be destroyed by Titus in 70AD
- Jesus’s reference was to His own death and resurrection (v21-22)
-- Yet, these same words would be used to mock Jesus on the cross
-- APP: As was commonly the case, Jesus was misunderstood by all who heard
- Why? They were only able to apply a limited head knowledge to His words
-- They could not see the future, nor understand what the implication was
- APP: Before we are too hard on them, let’s not lose sight of ourselves in this
-- We too have the same limited understanding and ability to see ahead
-- We make bad choices as well: Ref the phrase … “hindsight is 20/20”
-- The building here was not the issue – but the bodily resurrection is His focus
- Re: Following the resurrection, the disciples clearly remembered these words
-- It was then that they believed on Him, and were fully committed to the mission
-- For them, the physical proof came AFTER the teachings of Christ
- Our proof cannot and should not be found in a single sentence or story
-- Our proof comes from a life lived FOR Him, it is our testimony for Christ
-- IMP: When sharing Him with others, always start there – “What has He done?”
- HUGE: The gospel always presents Jesus in light of the resurrection to come
-- It is the focus on the view ahead that all of His teachings show them and us
-- For John, this teaching completed his views on how we should present Christ
-- APP: We get the story, but we also get it in light of the grave is now empty
- TRANS: So now we come to an important question … Why?
-- What was Jesus’s motive for driving those out of God’s house like this?
∆ Point 3 – Jesus’s Motive
- In v23, we see that many signs were performed in Jerusalem
-- This means, that many people had opportunity to see and they believed
-- Re: John emphasizes the message of Jesus vs. the actual miracles
-- True, miracles are a great evangelistic tool, but there is a deeper meaning
- John uses the word “semeion” (our word for sign) 16 times in this book
-- Other gospels use “dumamis” (power) or “teras” (wonder) to describe
-- Dunamis refers to the source and teras refers to the crowd’s reaction
-- But John’s word semeion signifies the purpose of the miracle (why it was done)
- What John does is critical: the motive of Christ is revealed (very IMP)
-- We see that just because people believed, it doesn’t mean they accepted (v24)
-- APP: Just because you believe may not mean that you have genuine faith
- Many in Jerusalem had intellectual faith; they saw Jesus as some prophet
-- But Jesus, looked right to their hearts and saw what was really going on
-- Their faith was in His works, and NOT in the person of Christ
-- Because of this, he “would not entrust Himself to them”
- Even the disciples had issues here, b/c they had issues until after resurrection
-- Jesus’ knowledge of their true faith is what is represented here in v24
-- His motive is clear: He knows what their heart condition is; not fooled by it
-- IMP: And He also knows what our response is as well … still not fooled by it
- For God, (v25) He does not need testimony about you and I
-- He already has the knowledge of who we are, and what we are about
-- So when we say we are fully His, He already knows if that is true (pause)
∆ Big Idea
- This is our challenge as well … what is our faith in?
-- Is it in the works of Jesus? Or in Jesus, the actual Messiah we need?
- Just because we call something “saving faith” doesn’t make it so
-- At the wedding we saw the first sign of Christ’s glory; revealing Himself
-- In Jerusalem we see a sign of His righteous anger; shows His power
- These two stories are in contrast like this for a very specific reason
-- Either we believe in the whole Son of God (and not just the good stuff)
-- Or we are playing a game with the creator of the universe …
- So who is Jesus to you? A miracle worker? Or 100% Lord of your life?
-- You and I have got to be able to answer that right here and now …
- Pray
